


What's Broken

by ciscoscaitlin, MoonlightShines (Thatkillervibe)



Series: Killervibe Week 2019 [5]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Episode: s03e01 Flashpoint, Established Relationship, F/M, Flashpoint - Freeform, Killervibe Week, POV Barry Allen, PTSD, Panic Attack, Time Travel, character death (briefly), collab fic, westallen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-01 00:43:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ciscoscaitlin/pseuds/ciscoscaitlin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatkillervibe/pseuds/MoonlightShines
Summary: After his father's funeral, Barry goes back in time to save his mother. One month, and a lovely vacation in Costa Rica with his parents afterwards, he returns back to Central City.Things are different.





	What's Broken

**Author's Note:**

> We plan to (someday) give this a chapter 2!
> 
> Warnings: This fic contains a panic attack and mention of blood.

  
  


Barry exhaled slowly, readying himself for the day. The vacation was nice, perfect, even. A month spent together with his parents. Healthy, alive. Together. 

And as amazing as those weeks away were, he knew there was a limit to the amount of time he could spend dodging real life. It was time to be responsible, no longer hiding away with his mom and dad in Costa Rica. They were alive, and not going anywhere. 

There’s no need to hold onto them so tightly. He’ll get the rest of his life to make up for lost time. 

Barry walked into Jitters during his lunch break. The first half of the day had been busy, he spent most of it inspecting his office, to make sure nothing was out of place, and he spent what was left of it tackling the mountain of work he had left behind. His break couldn’t have come sooner. He stood in the back of the line of the coffee shop as he scanned the menu. Nothing seemed to change much, but there was a significant lack of custom drinks. Only three, ever like the specialty menu before. _ Kid Flash, _ the _ Kid Flash _decaf and its frozen frappucchino. 

He wondered who Kid Flash was in this timeline. 

The bell dinged, and Barry startled from his thoughts, approaching the cash register. The radio tinned in the background as he decided on his order. “Can I have a medium latte, no extra foam?” 

“Sure.” 

Jitters was just as quick with their service as how Barry remembered. The barista called his name and his styrofoam cup slid across the counter. He picked it up and made his way back outside. Just as he was about to open the front door, a little girl in pigtails tripped. Her hot chocolate mug wobbled, her big green eyes widening with horror at the inevitable splash. 

Barry looked left and right as Jitters slowed around him, using his speed for the first time in nearly six weeks. 

He dashed for the mug, catching it with only a slosh of brown beverage dripping onto his hand. Quickly, he returned the mug back to the girl, grabbing her by the hook of her elbow. She slanted, the whites of her Converse shoes stressing against the floor as she regained her balance. 

“Woah there,” he said. Barry helped her upright. “Careful. That could’ve burned.” 

“Thanks!” she chirped. 

“Barry? Barry Allen?” 

Barry knew that voice. 

He spun on his heel and his eyes lit up, not believing his luck. “Hey! Iris!” His grin was involuntary. There she was in full glory. Beautiful, sophisticated, poised Iris West, with a hand on her hip and a curious smile. 

Of course he wondered about her when he was away. The kiss they shared on the porch, the possibilities he left behind. If things would change. What would change. There were risks involved, he knew that. But she was the one who told him to do what he needed. 

And Barry needed this. 

“Is that you?” 

“Yeah. Long time no see.” 

Barry wasn’t sure if he’d ever gone 6 weeks without contacting Iris since the coma. She had always been, and always will be, one of the most important people in his life. 

“No kidding,” she laughed. “Oh my god.” Her eyes scanned up and down his body, and she licked her lips. 

“You were quite the hero over there with that little girl.” 

Barry scratched at the back of his neck, suddenly bashful. “You saw that?” 

“Caught a glimpse of it through the window, yeah. You’ve always gone out of your way to help people, even when we were in high school.” 

“Little acts of kindness,” he supplied. “My mom used to teach me that. It was her favourite lesson.” 

Iris’s chin dropped in horror, she covered her mouth with a gasp. “_ Was? _Is she—” 

Barry realized his mistake. He was so used to talking about his mom in the past tense.

“No no no no no. She’s not! I mean not anymore. I mean. No. She never was. I was just away, and we had a lovely vacation. We just got back, actually!” He pulled out his phone to scroll through his pictures. “See!? Alive and well! And that’s my dad, he’s there too, we’re all a happy family.”  


He was. Babbling. 

Iris’ eyes glinted with amusement. “I think it’s sweet that you’re still close with your family.”

“Yeah, like you and your dad! Your picture is still on his desk at work.” 

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “...At work?” 

“CCPD?” He blanched. Did Joe not work there anymore? Was he not a cop? That was an old memory. One from before. One that maybe no longer made sense. A nervous chill went down his spine.

“I didn’t know you worked there.” 

Barry stumbled at that. Something was telling him Iris really _ hadn’t _seen him in a very long time. “—I. Yeah. CSI. I’ve been there for years.”

She clicked her tongue. “Huh.”

They talked for a few minutes more, what Iris had said about her not knowing he worked at CCPD playing over and over in his mind. He didn’t quite understand that.

He knew that there could be some changes because of his actions, but being best friends with Iris—That shouldn’t have changed that drastically. They were inseparable as children before the tragedy. And even now, as they talked, he didn’t get the sense that Iris didn’t_ know _ him. She smiled easily and listened to what he had to say, even to the point Barry was quite sure she obviously _ likes _ him. 

“So, Mister CSI, would you want to go out for coffee?” She glanced at his cup and flushed. “I know you already have one. But I was thinking we could get you a mug and make this a date?”

Barry nearly died on the spot. “Here? I mean, now? No!”

Iris’ eyebrows climbed sky high. 

He clutched at her arm, stressing. “I mean _ yes _. Yes of course I do. I’d love coffee. And to date. You. Us. Dating. Yes.”

He begged his brain to reboot, mortified, but it was like all his brain cells were screaming _ Iris Iris Iris Iris Iris Iris! Date date date date date! _ at the top of their lungs. It wasn’t like he fantasized about this happening for just about his entire twenty-seven years of life.

He sucked in a breath and tried to string together a proper sentence. “I’d love to reconnect, but I’m only on my lunch break.”

  


Iris laughed. “You, Barry Allen, are still very cute, you know that?” 

He went beet red. “Yeah.”

Did he just say _ yeah? _

“But you need to stop talking so fast.” 

Barry shrugged. “Speed’s always been my problem.” 

She unhooked his hand from her coat. “I understand how the CCPD shifts work. I can swing by after? We could do dinner.”

“Sure! Yes! Dinner is great.”

Iris glanced at the line, which had grown exponentially while they talked, and groaned. 

He peered over his shoulder. “What were you getting?”

She eyed him. “A latte.” 

He thrusted his cup at her. “I just ordered that. You can have mine.”

She blinked at it. Barry had to admit that was maybe a tad too much. But she surprised him, taking it. Their hands brushed.

“Are you sure?” 

He nodded. Iris sipped. “Mm. No foam.”

Barry glanced at the time. “I have to head back now.” 

“Wait. On second thought...Let me join you? I’ll go visit my dad.” She made a funny face. “I suddenly have some questions.” 

Barry hoped he wasn’t about to cause a rift between Iris and Joe. 

He hesitated, but she was looking up at him pleadingly. He was never able to resist that face.

  


“Uh—Sure.” 

Barry went back to work without any coffee but lifted spirits. Iris made a beeline for Joe’s desk, but Barry took his time. He clapped his hands together as he walked through the lobby, spotting Captain Mendez. He was nothing like Singh and it was great. He could already tell he’d get a lot less flack for being late. Not that he had a legitimate reason to be, anymore. There was no more secret superheroing life he had to hide. No more commutes to Star Labs. 

No. It wasn’t Star Labs anymore. His mind drifted to the ads everywhere. It had a new name. 

“—What’s up, Barry?” 

His thought dissolved. 

“Hey!” He couldn’t keep the lingering excitement from his whole encounter with Iris out of his voice. 

Captain Mendez gave him a once over. “I’ve never seen a man so excited on his first day back on the job,” he noted with a wry smile. 

Barry grinned. “Well, it’s not about that.” He stammered, not wanting to sound ungrateful for his job. “Although I am so happy to be back here!”

The Captain rolled his eyes fondly.

Barry sighed, unable to keep it in anymore. “Captain Mendez, I was going to ask a girl out, but she beat me to it.” 

“Ah, there’s no better feeling, is there? Well, until you hear the words ‘I do’.” 

Barry reddened, imagining only for the gazillionth time, Iris in a white wedding dress. 

“Yeah, we’ve got a ways to go before that, I think.” 

They talked about the Rival. This new Speedster Barry soon came to realize was still plaguing the city since before he left the country. Kid Flash was struggling, and Barry sympathized for the city’s new speedster, but they were at his whim. He told Mendez so, much to the Captain’s irritation. 

Everyone’s alerts beeped. 

“It’s The Rival!” Barry heard Joe’s voice carry from down the hall. Captain Mendez excused himself to get the squad cars ready. 

Barry saw Joe adjust his thigh holster. Iris sat next to officer Jonesy, questioning him. 

“Joe! Let me know everything you can about The Rival so I can help ID him.” 

Joe eyed Barry warily. “It’s Detective West to you, Allen. I ain’t Joe no more. Haven’t been since you were 17.” 

That caught Barry _ completely _ off guard. “—Uh.” 

“And you, our _ only _expert CSI, think you can take a month long vacation to Costa Rica while The Rival is wreaking havoc downtown, and then just stroll up to me on the first day back making demands?” 

Barry backpedalled. “No—I just thought, you know. That we were friends. Because we work together.” 

Joe stopped adjusting his holster to glare. “Son, I’ve never been able to prove that there’s nothing wrong with you. But there’s gotta be something wrong with you.” 

“Dad!” Iris gasped from the other desk, appalled. “Stop holding such a grudge. It was a long time ago.” 

...What was a long time ago? 

Joe rolled his eyes, and waved at the other officers. “We’ve got to go.” 

“Reports inform that Kid Flash is already at the scene.” 

Iris jumped up from the desk. “_ I _have to go!” 

Barry spun around as nearly everyone in the precinct got on their feet, leaving him behind. 

He lifted up his finger, cocking his head to the side. “Huh.” Weird.

The television set continued to blare, showing live footage of Kid Flash grappling with The Rival down The Boulevard. The yellow suit was striking, bright and easy to attract attention. 

“Kid,” Barry muttered. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing.” 

He saw a blur of yellow slam into a car by chokehold on the news. Barry gulped, looking down at his vibrating hands, already itching to help them. He shook his head at himself. 

He always had to be the hero, didn’t he?

Barry ran to the Werther Building just in time to see the speedster fall out of a window. He panicked when he saw him hurtling towards the ground. It would be a ten foot drop, and there wasn’t any signs of the guy slowing down. Barry spun his arms in a circular motion, creating a strong current to slow him down. He grinned at it started to work, Kid Flash no longer plummeting dangerously. 

Now, only to swiftly turn the angle, so the fall won’t break—

\--Break what? 

Barry blinked, clutching at his head. What was he supposed to be doing?

He heard a scream, and it all came back to him, his heart leapt in his chest at the sight of Kid Flash crashing into the dumpsters. Barry was supposed to have softened his fall. What the hell was he doing? 

Kid Flash laid in the garbage, passed out, but still breathing. 

Barry approached him hesitantly, his curiosity getting the best of him. He peeled back the mask covering over Kid Flash’s eyes, the impulse too strong to resist. 

Wally. 

Kid Flash was..._ Wally? _

Iris’ brother groaned and squinted at the harsh sun, and the figure looming over him in it. 

_ “Who are you?” _

_ ~.~ _

After some reluctant convincing, Barry managed to convince Wally to bring him to his Kid Flash hideout. It turned out to be his apartment. 

Barry looked around, taking it all in. This was nothing like Star Labs, this was just a young man’s home. They passed by mementos and trinkets of Wally’s past with cars as he explained how he got his powers. It sounded so awfully familiar, except, it happened while Wally was speeding, and his car got struck by lightning, and also ended up in a coma. Barry mused silently over that, Wally always did have an attachment to thrill. He thought back to Joe this afternoon. He wondered how he took to that, to Wally being gone for so long so soon after he knew him, only to become a superhero. 

Barry frowned. Or, maybe he’d raised Wally his whole life here. He wasn’t sure. And it wasn’t his place to ask. 

“...Anyways, that’s how I became The Flash.” 

Barry coughed. “Kid Flash.” 

Wally rolled his eyes, annoyed. “Don’t call me that.” 

“I call you that,” a new voice called in, with the jingling sound of keys as the front door closed. 

Barry swallowed down his surprise. _ “Iris.” _

She gave him a confused smile. “...Barry?” 

Wally turned to his sister. “You know him?” 

“Of course I know him,” Iris said with a fond eye roll, giving Barry a secret look, as if she were expecting him to join in. 

“Barry, this is my brother. Wally.” 

Oh. _ Oh. _Barry wasn’t supposed to know he knew Wally. Okay, so that must mean Wally still did live with Francine until recently, and explained why Wally didn’t recognize him. 

Barry wanted to face palm. _ Oh Wally. _ He just invited a stranger into his _ home. _

Barry tried to keep a list of new important changes in his head as the two siblings talked. It was starting to get confusing. Barry tried to deflect the attention off himself by asking about Iris’ involvement with Kid Flash instead. 

“We became a brother-sister fighting unit.”  


Barry hid his smile. “Cool.” 

“Except, the Rival is not cool!” Wally groaned, reaching into his freezer for a bag of peas to ice his bruises. 

“Yeah, he needs to be stopped,” Barry agreed. 

Iris sighed, sitting down on the couch. “Not for lack of trying. That’s a lot easier said than done. We’re open to suggestions.”

Barry let out a long breath. He didn’t want to be pulled into The Flash business anymore, but he couldn’t let them struggle like this. They didn’t know it yet, but they were his family. And he’d always do whatever it takes to help Iris. 

Barry carded his hand through his hair. “I think I can help.” 

But Iris pursed her lips, unconvinced, before Barry could properly explain. “There’s only one man who can help us now. Cisco Ramon.” 

Barry’s eyes widened. _ Cisco. _

  


~.~ 

For a building he had only ever known as painstakingly empty, seeing Star Labs bustling with energy, crowds and loud corporate chatter brought Barry a stronger whiplash than ever previously experienced due to his own speed. 

Iris and Wally sneaked Barry though the guest entrance and past the receptionist desk of Ramon Industries, and he didn’t have enough time to ask why that was until loud elevator doors dinged open, and every very fancily dressed person in the room stopped to stare. 

It _ was _Cisco Ramon who walked out confidently in an expensive suit and glasses, looking at his watch as a petite young girl walked briskly after him. “Is there anything better than coming home after a noisy helicopter ride?” he joked to his staff, who chuckled along with him. “New York was a success, people! Ramon Industries is Tokyo bound!” 

The room erupted into loud cheers. 

Barry tilted his head. “Tokyo?” he whispered to himself. “I thought Ramon Industries was Central City’s leading tech company? Why are they talking about Japan?” 

Barry just assumed that Star Labs had been renamed because Thawne’s plan was foiled all those years ago in this timeline. While Harrison Wells was ingenious and a local celebrity, his fame had never extended beyond Star City. Especially since Central City was previously known to be a research town. There was still Tannhauser Industries and Mercury Labs as competitors. 

Iris looked at him incredulously. “Did you hit your head in Costa Rica? Cisco Ramon is the richest man in America. I’m surprised he hasn’t expanded to Europe and Asia sooner.” 

“What about Mercury Labs?” he questioned, just to see. 

Wally frowned. “...It went bankrupt when I was still in elementary school. I heard that lady who owned it works for Mr. Ramon now.” 

“Oh.” 

Cisco turned to the woman who was with him in the elevator, she looked like she was his personal assistant. “I want a report on the robotics division, and the schedule for next week printed please, Suzanne.”

“Yes, Mr. Ramon.” 

Cisco’s stern voice softened. “And please bring me my precious cargo.” 

“Immediately, sir.” The girl scurried away. 

Cisco looked to the side where two men came flocking to him. He put his arms around them like a team huddle before a football game. What’s the scoop, boys?” 

“As for LogicFrame, it’s a relatively small startup. The IP is expected to be in the low teens.” 

Cisco nodded, patting them on their backs. “Offer them twenty mil.” 

Barry gawked. 

Iris pulled on his sleeve, trying to catch the multi-billionaire before he disappeared down his maze of halls, but he looked up and spotted them first. 

“Huh,” he said, his tone inflecting distaste. “Well I told you never to come back here.” 

There was not even a spark of recognition in Cisco’s eyes when he looked at him. Barry swallowed and lowered his gaze. It hurt. 

Cisco turned swiftly on his heel to leave. 

Iris let go of Barry to chase after him. “Cisco—Mr. Ramon! Mr. Ramon! Wait, please!” 

  


He marched briskly down the familiar halls Barry used to call his second home, his hands balling into fists. “I make you a friction-proof suit so your clothes don’t explode at mach 2 and you leave me out of your brother and sister war on crime. That was the deal.” 

“We know,” Iris pleaded, “But listen to me, Mr. Ramon, we need _ help. _The Rival on TV, don’t tell me you haven’t seen how bad it’s gotten. He’s been terrorizing the city to prove he’s the fastest like a raging idiot. God, who knows what he’ll do next!” 

“We have to stop him,” Wally insisted. 

Barry tried to follow along with the conversation, realizing he was missing some essential information about their apparent shared history. 

It went down like a bitter pill, for Cisco to know Iris and Wally, but not him. His best friend. 

Cisco pushed his hand against a keypad in the same spot in the hall where the Time Vault used to be, and the secret doors opened to reveal a large furnished office. He walked into it, picked up a basketball and tried to throw it through the hoop stationed at the top of the wall. It missed. 

He threw up his hands, exasperated. 

“Are you even listening to us?” Iris accused. 

Cisco turned around, irritated. “Then_ stop _ him. Please, go with God, have fun.” His face twisted with pain. “But you know what happens when you mess with a speedster?” he pushed his shaking hand and tilted it to Iris’ shirt. “That. That’s what happens. You get a vibrating hand threatening to go right through your ribcage. No thanks, my family needs me.”  


This didn’t sound like the Cisco Ramon Barry knew. The one who made toys for superheroes, who built cold guns in his spare time to conquer villains, and bounced with excitement at the opportunity to save the day. 

What could have possibly happened to him that would change all that? 

He took a step forward, trying to appease him. “Cisco, you’re not going to help us? That’s not in your nature.”

Cisco startled, as if only just remembering Barry was there. He narrowed his eyes at him, scrutinizingly. “Who are you?” 

Barry stammered, trying to think up a response. 

Just then, the doors opened once more, and Suzanne the personal assistant walked in carrying in some high-tech carrier. It somewhat resembled a car seat. Barry paused. 

“The report and schedules have been synced to your private server.”

“Excellent, Suzie.”

“And here’s your precious cargo, Mister Ramon.” 

Cisco’s scowl brightened up into a splitting beam. He rushed to the woman, and took the carrier and brought it to his desk, then lifted up the cover. 

There was a baby in there. 

The richest man in America lifted up the sleeping infant and cooed. 

_ Cisco had a baby. _

Despite their serious discussion, Iris couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “She’s gotten so big!” 

Barry walked forward, staring at the two in awe. The baby was young, but not a newborn, sleeping with little fluttering eyelashes and itty bitty fingers curled up against Cisco’s shoulder. Her lips were wet pink, matching her adorable dress. Barry felt his eyes water, incredibly proud for his best friend. His baby was beautiful—and, surprisingly, achingly familiar. It was the first time he’s ever seen the baby, ever heard of her existence, but somehow Barry felt a familiar pull in his heart. It was like he already knew her. Barry reached out his hand to stroke at her mop of curly brown hair. 

Cisco glared, stepping away. “Why is this stranger trying to touch my child?” 

Barry pulled away, as if burned. Cisco’s words had never stung so much before. 

“Barry,” Iris hissed. “What’s the matter with you?” 

“We’re friends!” Barry blurted, unable to take it anymore. This was Cisco’s life and it was what he deserved and Barry achingly wanted to be a part of it. It wasn’t right that this timeline stripped that away. Why wasn’t he at this baby’s birth? Why hadn’t they ever met? How could saving his mother put Cisco and Barry on such separate paths? 

“We’re best friends! This is your baby girl and I’m supposed to be her uncle Barry! We’re supposed to know each other! We’re partners!” 

Cisco scoffed, but he started to look uneasy. “Baby mine only has one uncle, and it’s my brother. I only have one partner, and it’s my future wife. I told you. I’ve never met you in my entire life.” 

He turned to Wally. “I can’t believe you told this random person that I’ve helped The Flash. Especially with what happened after Zoom.” 

_ After Zoom? _

“But I know Dante!” Barry insisted. Though he had no idea who Cisco’s partner was. “And I know what kind of person you are, Cisco. You’re the kind of person who—“

Barry’s mind scattered for a moment, his train of thought slipping away. He doesn’t even remember why he was so adamant about what he was just about to say. 

“I’m the kind of person who puts their family first,” Cisco said firmly. “That means distancing my baby from this madness.” 

Barry felt woozy, sweat beading down his forehead as he saw double. He needed to sit down. 

Iris gasped when Barry nearly collapsed. “Barry? Barry!” 

He had to get out of here. There was something wrong with him. It happened first with the inkling of confusing with Joe, and then when he tried to save Wally, and now it was happening with Cisco. It was frightening and chilling and hauntingly wrong. 

Barry sped out of Ramon Industries. He had to speak to Thawne. 

~.~ 

“What's happening to me?” Barry demanded. He rattled the bars which kept the speed monster imprisoned. 

“I was wondering when you'd notice.” 

“It's like I'll be thinking of a moment from my past and then it vanishes. I can't get it back! Why?” 

“Flashpoint,” Thawne replied calmly, throwing his discarded bag of Big Belly Burger into the corner of his cell. He explained it like a patronizing high school teacher, and that made it all the more infuriating. “It’s a side effect. See? I told you before. You don’t know what you’re doing. This new reality you've created is starting to overwrite the reality that you and I know. So your original life, your friends, your family, pretty soon, all of that will just fade away.” 

“Then why isn’t that happening to _ you?” _

Thawne’s brows furrowed for a moment. Then, with a burst of enlightenment, he cackled. “Your speed!” 

No. _ No. _

No, Barry loved his speed. He just didn’t care for being _ The Flash _ anymore. For having to deal with all this trauma and pain that accompanied it. This wasn’t why this was happening. There were a few glitches in this timeline that Barry hadn’t anticipated here and there, yes, of course, and it was unnerving to be losing his memories, but this wasn’t a terrible life! And there was no way he was going to be losing his powers. Thawne was trying to trick him. 

“No, you’re lying. You just want me to get you out of here and that’s never going to happen.” 

“Soon you won’t even remember that you’re The Flash,” Eobard taunted. “This world will become permanent, and time will set like concrete. You’ll be stuck here forever, and there will be nothing in your power to change it.” 

“That’s fine by me!” He was not about to get intimidated. He was _ not _going to second guess this. Not this perfect life. 

“You know what you have to do.” Thawne threw back his head and laughed. “You have to take me back to that night and finish what I started.” 

“You go to hell!” Barry spat. 

Thawne’s words rattled in his head as he sped off, unable to leave him alone as he bolted through his city. To hell with Thawne, he didn’t know what he was talking about. He didn’t. He was a manipulator. This was his specialty, an elaborate trick. He just had to shake it off. He had to ignore it so they could defeat The Rival, and things could get back to normal.

Barry can still get everything he wants. His date with Iris, a home he can return to with his mother and father, he’ll win Joe’s affections once again, and will manage to worm his way back into Cisco’s life. Wally will be the Kid Flash Central City needs. Not him. He’ll only help out this once. Only this one time. And most importantly, he’ll still have his speed. It was the life Barry should have. It was the one he deserved. 

But the Reverse Flash’s damn words were getting to his head. 

_ Now who’s the villain, Flash? Now who’s the villain? _

  


~.~ 

Cisco jerked his back from his LogicFrames, seemingly spooked at the accuracy of his own invention. “Unbelievable. It’s like I was actually there.” 

The richest man in America cried out in alarm as Barry brough in Wally back into his private office, and then ten seconds later Iris appeared, disheveled from the snackbar. 

“I told you not to do that!” Cisco scolded, he turned to check on the baby seat. “You’ll freak out the baby!” 

Wally held his hands out. “It wasn’t me.” 

Barry wiped at his brow, glad to be back in his suit. It was growing dust in the back of his closet for nearly six weeks. 

“Who are you?” Iris asked, breathlessly, still smoothing out the wrinkles of her blouse. Barry was getting real tired of that question.

“The man who’s gonna help you stop the Rival.” 

After Barry attempted to explain his entire situation for the seventh time in the last half hour to continued blank stares, he knew something had to give. Cisco had his legs propped up on his office chair with his suit jacket slung over the back as he fed his gurgling infant a baby bottle, barely paying attention. 

Iris had her hands in her hair as she paced back and forth, muttering to herself. “My high school ex-boyfriend is a hot speedster talking nonsense.” 

Barry frowned. “It is not nonsense.” He opened the cap of the whiteboard marker to make a new diagram when her words finally caught up to him. He nearly dropped what he was holding. 

_ “High school ex-boyfriend?!” _

Iris looked like she didn’t know what to say. “...Did you...forget?” 

Suddenly, Joe’s snarky attitude towards him made so much more sense. 

“Okay!” he said, and forced to compartmentalize that fact so he could dissect it at a later time. He erased some equations that were on the whiteboard in Cisco’s handwriting. Cisco looked up from his daughter at the squeak of the eraser, protesting. “Those are my very important patents!” 

“Sorry, Cisco—Uh. Mr. Ramon.” Barry coughed awkwardly. “Imagine this line is time, okay? I went back in time, stopped the Reverse Flash from killing my mom, and in doing so, created an alternate timeline. That’s what this is. It’s a whole new existence where,” he pointed to Wally. “You’re Kid Flash—”

“—The Flash,” he interrupted. 

“Kid Flash,” Cisco and Iris muttered under their breaths. 

“Cisco is a billionaire with a _ baby, _and—”

Cisco made a disapproving noise, stroking the cheek of his little girl. His eyes went so soft. She was truly his whole world. “—So you’re telling me there’s a timeline out there where I don’t have my little princess? Boy, that’s a glitch in the universe.” 

Wally shook his head. “For the tenth time, I don’t buy it. This is my life. It didn’t just exist a month ago! I’ve always been me.”

Cisco glanced up at Barry, looked him in the eyes for the first time without annoyance. “Look, I hear what you’re saying. I spied on you with my LogicFrames when you ran off all weirdly and overheard the conversation you had with the creepy yellow teletubby. I understand alternate timelines are theoretically possible. But this is the best life I could’ve ever asked for. The last time I got myself involved in their mess, things went really wrong. I did my part, and I’m sorry for your situation. I can give you money or something, if it’ll do any good. But I won’t be a part of this. Especially if it means losing my family.” 

Barry shook his head. “I’m not trying to change anything about this timeline,” he said. “I just want us to defeat The Rival, and explain how I know all of you without sounding insane. But please, Cisco. You need to help. It was always what you’d do.” 

“Eh,” Cisco replied, still skeptical. 

It was crazy how stubborn he could be without Caitlin’s conviction. 

The thought struck him dumb. How could Barry have never realized—

“Wait. We’re missing something.” 

_ Caitlin. _

Barry sped to the monitors, hacking into the systems, surprised at how easy it was to find her. 

“Hey!” Cisco said. “What are you doing—Don’t touch that!” Barry ignored Cisco, wooshed out to snatch Caitlin and brought her in. 

She stumbled in her heels, wearing a lab coat, screaming. 

_ “Zoom!? Please don’t!” _

Cisco sat up straighter. “No, no! It’s not Zoom! It’s not Zoom, Caitlin!” 

Caitlin crumpled to the floor and Cisco scrambled out of his chair as fast as he could while supporting his baby. “Look, it’s me. It’s just me. Cisco. You’re safe in my private office at Ramon Industries. Breathe with me, okay? And look who’s here!” Cisco brought his baby’s hand to wave at Caitlin, desperate to provoke a reaction. 

Cisco turned from his crouch to glare at Barry, _ furious _. “Why did you just kidnap my fiancée?” 

“Barry,” Iris said, horrified at what just transpired. “What the hell?” 

Caitlin’s trembling stopped when she heard Cisco’s voice. She opened her eyes one by one, taking in her surroundings. Barry watched as Cisco’s entire demeanour changed in complete surprise. Cisco cupped Caitlin’s face, stroking her hair, talking to her in private, soft whispers. 

She still looked terrified, but she reached out for Cisco’s daughter, taking the baby into her arms. 

“Hi baby,” she said in a shaky whisper, rocking her to her chest. 

Barry covered his mouth, shocked. “Uh—” he said. “That’s Mr. Ramon’s—” 

“Mommy’s here,” she continued. “What a surprise.” 

Barry gaped. “—I” He pointed at Caitlin, then Cisco, then stared at their baby, baffled. 

“She’s her _ mother?” _

Cisco got up from the floor, legitimately intimidating. “Speedsters are a _ no-go zone _ for her! How _ dare _you do that.” 

“Why did you bring Cisco’s girlfriend here?” Wally asked. 

“Fiancée,” Cisco corrected. “That ring is big and expensive. It’s hard to miss, Kid Flash.” 

“This is Dr. Caitlin Snow,” Barry explained unnecessarily. “In my timeline she’s a part of my team.” 

“_ No _ , that’s the mother of my child! The one person I _ forbade _ you two from bringing into your superheroing circus!” 

“We didn’t know he would do that!” Iris snapped. 

“No, we need her,” Barry insisted. “She’s a scientist.” 

Caitlin looked up from the happy baby. “Oh, I’m not a scientist!” 

“...You’re not?” 

“No! I’m a part-time paediatric ophthalmologist.” 

“The best paediatric ophthalmologist in the damn country,” said Cisco. He turned off his monitors and picked up the baby seat, slinging his arm around Caitlin’s waist. Caitlin turned her head to kiss Cisco. Like, on the mouth. Because they were lovers. And going to be married. Cisco and Caitlin. 

_ Barry’s _ Cisco and Caitlin. 

He needed to sit down. Again. 

“We’re done here. I’m bringing them home.” Cisco flicked on his loudspeaker. “Melissa, this is Mister Ramon. Can you please phone the hospital to have them take over Dr. Snow’s last patients? There was an emergency.” 

“Could you please just wait 5 minutes? I am so sorry for scaring you, Dr. Snow. It’s really important.” 

“Important?” Caitlin repeated. She looked at Cisco. “Like Earth 2, important?” 

Cisco sighed. “No, babe. Look, it’s not like Earth 2.” He looked at Barry pointedly. “Tell her it’s not like Earth 2.” 

“It’s not,” Barry promised. “We just want to put an end to The Rival.” 

  


Iris cleared her throat, tapping on Barry’s shoulder. “Can I talk with you in private?”

He nodded reluctantly. She pulled him out into the hall, as Cisco, Caitlin and Wally stayed inside. 

“Look, I know this is hard to believe.” 

“No,” she said, “That’s just it. Once you started speaking clearly, it made sense. It’s like Mr. Ramon said. We’ve been to _ Earth 2. _I do believe you.” 

“You do?” 

She shrugged her shoulders, helplessly. Her expression resigned. “I have a good life. I have a good job. I love my brother and my dad. But something has been off. Something has been missing, and the feeling that something wasn’t right in my life, the moment I saw you again in Jitters, that went away.” 

Barry’s face softened. 

“We’re more than exes from high school, are we? We’re something to each other, where you come from.” 

How do you explain to the most important person in your life that that’s who they are? 

“Yes,” he admitted. He took her hand.

Her breath hitched. “What?” she asked. 

“It’s escaped definition. But it’s love.” 

She nodded, unable to tear her gaze from his eyes. “I thought so.” 

Cisco poked his head out. “Hey. Timelined-Crossed Lovers. We think we found something.” 

The moment passed. Iris pulled her hand away, eager to follow Cisco and his lead. 

He brought them over to his computer systems, which he had turned on again, smirking at the way Caitlin was cuddling her baby in one hand, and typing away with an intent look on her face with the other. 

“For some reason my fiancée wants to help, you’re lucky she’s convincing and hella intelligent.”

“I have always wondered why no one turned the speed cameras in the city to register near sonic velocities,” Caitlin explained. She went sheepish. “I have PTSD. So I try to learn the best I can about the safety measures. It helps.” 

Cisco hovered over her frame, reading whatever webpage she had pulled up and kissed her cheek comfortingly. “She was kidnapped by Zoom when she was pregnant,” he told Barry. His tone went hard. “That’s why we don’t do this crap anymore.” 

“But maybe by helping with The Rival we can rid Central City of speedsters permanently,” Caitlin said. 

Cisco sighed. “Yeah. Seems like a ready built early warning system.” 

After a few minutes, thanks to Cisco and Caitlin’s teamwork, they were able to pinpoint The Rival’s location by reprogramming the cameras. According to Cisco’s satellites, sonic velocities were currently detected at the old sawmill by Williamson. 

Iris pulled out her phone. “I’ll send an anonymous tip to CCPD. My dad would want to set up a perimeter.” 

Cisco and Caitlin were lost in their own happy bubble. 

“You do make a great hero, you know,” Caitlin said to Cisco. 

Cisco blushed, tilting her chin to kiss her. “You’re my hero,” he murmured against her lips. They continued to kiss over their baby. 

Barry side eyed them. It was weird. It would never not be weird. Cisco and Caitlin. Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow._ Lip locking. _

Kid Flash followed his gaze. “You get used to it,” he said. 

Wally pulled on the cowl of his bright yellow suit, which Barry still couldn’t get over. “You follow my lead.” 

“No,” Barry said, prepping for battle. He lifted his own cowl. He knew he said to himself that he’d let Wally take over the crime fighting. But that can start tomorrow. “You’ll follow_ my _ lead.” 

  


“Listen to him, Wally,” Iris advised. “He's _ The Flash.” _

~.~ 

  


It turned out The Rival was named Edward Clariss, and he had it in for Kid Flash. 

Barry and Wally teamed up against him after his creepy little monologue— they all had those nowadays—but then Cisco and Caitlin were talking through the coms about weird weather picking up, and they split up. 

Barry should’ve known he was going to mess up. He should’ve left things for Wally, because he lost his train of thought just as he was about to get this all under control. He turned to forfeit, to make Wally give the final play and be the hero of his city like he deserved. 

He stumbled, and Iris called for him through the earpiece. “Are you okay?” 

He stared at the red suit he was wearing, clueless. “I don’t know who I am!” 

“You’re the Flash, Barry! You explained it to us ten times. You’re from another timeline, you’re a speedster, a hero, my hero, okay? And you can do this you can—” 

Memories returned one by one, fighting crime in Star Labs, defeating Zoom, fighting a telepathic gorilla, King Shark, being the town’s saviour, being _ The Flash. _ He got up on his feet. This might be the last time Barry ran in this suit, but he was going to make it his— 

It was then the gunshots cracked through the air. 

Everyone froze. 

Barry whipped his head in the direction of the cry, horrified at what he saw; Kid Flash pressing a hand to his chest, blood seeping through the incredibly thick leather. He dropped to his knees, then keeled over. 

_ “Wally!” _

_ “Wally!?” _Joe came sprinting towards them, tearing off his protective gear as he rushed to Kid Flash, who had crumpled down in front of Captain Mendez. He ripped off the mask, to see his son’s eyes. 

Caitlin and Cisco were panicking in his ears, but Barry simply grabbed Wally and zoomed away with him from the scene. He dropped Wally on the couch of Cisco’s office, then ran back to get Joe. 

Cisco was cursing left and right, Iris tripping over Cisco’s rolling basketball in her haste to get to her brother. The vitals from his suit Cisco had pulled up on his monitor were going haywire, beeping sporadically in the fancy office, until it sped up dramatically. 

Everything erupted at once. 

“The Rival is still out there!” Cisco told them, but his warning fell on deaf ears. 

“Where’s the bleeding?!” Iris said, already trying to help Cisco unpeel the suit. “I thought you said the suit was supposed to be bulletproof!” 

_ “Supposed to be!” _ Cisco snapped back, stressed. “I didn’t realize the speedster couldn’t outrun _ bullets!” _

Joe cried out. “Wally?!? Kid Flash was Wally all along!? Iris, how could you?” He sounded too bewildered to be mad, his voice weak and faint. 

Iris’s face was crestfallen. “Dad, it was never supposed to happen like this!”

Barry grabbed Caitlin’s arm. “You have to help him, he lost a lot of blood.” 

“Wait—” Barry interrupted himself, Joe’s words catching up to him. “You never told Joe?” 

“The _ hell _ she didn’t!”  


Caitlin did the very opposite of what he’d expected. Instead of rolling up her sleeves to help, she backed away, fearful. “I’m not that kind of doctor!” she yelled. 

“So you’re just going to let him die?” 

“I don’t know how to do cardiac surgery!? I’m a children’s eye doctor! I can’t—” 

“He’s not going to die!” Iris bit out, putting pressure onto the wound as she called 911. “He has regenerative healing, he should be able to survive this.” 

But she didn’t sound so confident, her voice shaking. She glared at Barry, tears running down her face. “Aren’t_ you supposed to be The Flash _? Why did you bring him here!? Bring him to a hospital!” 

She was right, and he didn’t know why he couldn’t get his legs to move, frozen still. 

Cisco had the suit off Wally now, trying to perform CPR as he called staff for backup over his loud PDA system. Caitlin began to hyperventilate, and grabbed her baby. 

“Where are you going!?” Iris cried. “You’re the closest thing to a doctor we have! We need you!” 

But Caitlin fled. 

Cisco looked up from Wally, concerned. “Caitlin!” He got up to go after her, despite everyone’s vehement protests, pushing him back down.

But mere seconds paused from his desperate attempt of rescue was enough to let Wally slip through their fingers, and his heart rate flatlined. 

Barry couldn’t move as Iris screamed. 

Couldn’t move as Joe staggered back, then collapsed. 

Couldn’t move as Cisco’s staff came running in with emergency crews, too late to save father or son. 

Couldn’t move as Iris got up, yelling at him, screaming at him, pounded his fists against him to stop being useless and _ do something. _

It was like losing his mother all over again. But this was all his fault. 

“Barry,” Iris said, eerily quiet, but her voice rose in pitch as she grew hysterical. “Get out._ Get out. _ Get out! _ Get out!” _

So he did. 

~.~ 

Barry had never hated someone so much as he did Eobard Thawne. 

Himself, maybe, in the final moments of Flashpoint, but that cruel smile the Reverse Flash shot him after Barry begged him to go back and kill his mother will haunt him until he dies. 

~.~ 

Barry walked through Star Labs on eggshells. Everything looked normal, but he was exhausted. 

“Barry,” Caitlin said, rising up from her desk and smoothing down her shirt. “You’re here!” 

“...Was I not supposed to be?” 

“The funeral yesterday...I just assumed, you’d take the day off to be by yourself.” 

He shook his head. “I don’t want to be by myself.” He chanced a glance at Iris, who was with Wally over by the other desk at the Cortex as they talked over the speaker phone with Joe. He could finally relax, relieved. “I want to be with my family.” 

Caitlin mustered a smile. “That’s nice.” 

Barry frowned, looking around. “Where’s Cisco?” 

Her face clouded over with anger. “That’s not funny,” she told him, picking up her coat with a scowl. “I’m going to chalk that up to grief. I’ll see you later, Barry.” 

He turned to glance at her from over his shoulder as she stalked out, confused. He hesitantly walked over to Iris and Wally. “I thought we could all have dinner together? What’s up with her?”

Wally shared a look with Iris, especially when Barry threw his arms around him. He patted his back awkwardly. “Are you kidding me? You know why Cisco isn’t here.” But that meant nothing to Barry. “We’ll go with you with Dad, but tough luck on getting those two together. You’ll have to pick either or.”

  
“My bet is on Cisco because you just pissed off Caitlin,” Iris mused. 

Barry frowned. “Cisco and Caitlin—?” He remembered the other timeline and bit his tongue. 

“They still won’t talk, Barry,” Iris said exasperatedly. “You know that. Text me your dinner plans. I have to go to work.” 

The two left, leaving Barry in the Cortex alone. He went to Cisco’s workshop, looking around. 

It all seemed in order, gadgets and tools scattered around all over his table. So it couldn’t be that he left, or that he quit, or that he’s gone away. 

Barry sat down on Cisco’s stool, feeling like he’d missed something crucial. It was then, he noticed something, buried under a pile of blueprints, candy bags, coiled springs and a hammer. He slid out the picture frame from where it lay face down against the table, and propped it up carefully. 

He stared at it as shattered pieces of glass fell out of the frame, dropping onto the table. 

Barry couldn’t help but notice the strategic placing of the hammer, now, and how the smashed glass centered right over Caitlin’s smiling face. 

“Oh god,” he whispered, horrified. “What did I do?!”

  
  
~.~  
  
  
  


_ Now who’s the villain, Flash? Now who’s the villain? _

**Author's Note:**

> :)


End file.
